Pianoforte-action.



Patented Nov. 2 ,1908.

fwerdvz- M W W imam 3 i /M WILLIAM W. WALLACE, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

PIANOFORTE-ACTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

Application filed March 20, 1908. Serial No. 422,319.

. the construction of piano actions and particularly in the construction of the action rail and the parts secured thereto, the object of the invention being to provide improved means for securing to said rail the several short flanges in which various parts of the action are pivotally supported, the invention being in the nature of an improvement on the construction forming the subjectmatter of my prior United States Letters Patent dated August 9, 1898 and numbered 608,938.

The construction embodying the invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure l is an end elevation of the action rail showing several action-supporting flanges thereon and parts of the action members pivoted to said flanges. Fig. 2 isa sectional elevation, somewhat enlarged, of part of the action rail showing the bushing construction whereby the flanges are secured to the rail, the plane of the section being on line 22, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken in the plane of line 33, Fig. 2. Fig. at is a perspective view of one of the bushings.

Referring to the drawings, a indicates the action-rail, of some hard wood, and Z), 0, and (Z are flanges of like material secured thereto in substantially the positions shown for receiving and pivotally supporting various parts of the ordinary piano action, as for example, the arm Z) receives the damper-lever c c the hammershank f, and cl a jack lever 9 through which connection is made with one of the keys by means of levers (not shown) there being of course flanges b, c, and (Z on the action-rail a for each key.

The action-rail a and the flanges b, 0, and (Z being made of wood, it is necessary to secure them together in a manner which will positively prevent rattling when the instrument is in use, and the means to accomplish this, as described in my said prior patent No. 608,938, consist of a bushing screwed into a hole in the action-rail and internally threaded to receive a screw extending loosely through a bushing forced into ahole in each flange b, 0, and d which is fastened to the rail.

It has been found in practice, in assembling the parts as described in my said prior Patent, that a great deal of labor is expended in setting the bushings in the actionrail so that the upper ends thereof will extend just far enough above the surface of the rail to receive the end of the bushing in the flanges when the binding screw is set down to hold the flange in place, as if the rail bushing is too high it will cause the outer end of the bushing in the flange to extend beyond the surface of the latter and the head of the screw coming to a bearing on the bushing first, will not tightly secure the flanges to the rail, and to remove the flange several times to adjust the rail bushing correctly, involves much labor.

By means of my present invention, all the time and expense involved in such adjustments are saved.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3, and 4t: h in dicates a bushing for the action-rail a, and if a bushing located in the flanges Z), c, and (Z. These two bushings are provided with a fluted ribbed exterior, as shown, the flutes extending longitudinally thereof, though this is not absolutely essential as far as the bushing 70 is concerned. The bushing h is screw threaded interiorly to receive the screw 0, which serves to bind the flanges to the action-rail a, but the bushing 7c is bored out to permit the screw to pass through it with a fairly close fit. These two bushings, by means of a suitable press, are forced respectively into holes drilled in the rail a and the flanges Z), c, and cl, the latter are then placed in position and the screws 0 inserted and threaded into the bushings it and when the head of the screw comes to a bearing and is screwed up tightly, the two bushings will be drawn together until the contiguous ends thereof are brought into contact; and by making the bushings 7c of a length not ex ceeding the thickness of the flanges and by adjusting the throw of the press to set the bushing it just a little below the surface of the rail, the turning in of the screw 0, after its head has come to a bearing on the end of the bushing in the flange, will draw the bushing it out of the rail until the contiguous ends of the two bushings come to a bearing against each other, the bushing it being prevented from turning by the fluted exterior thereof. The advantages of this construction are from the foregoing description too apparent to need further explanation sufiice it to say that all of the flanges Z), 0, and (Z for the entire instrument can be attached firmly in place by means of the invention described herein in the same time now required to attach but a small number when using the construct-i011 described in my said prior patent.

For the purpose of holding the flanges b, c, and (Z in their proper position at right angles to the edge of the action-rail 0 beyond which they extend, a rib 72 is provided on the action-rail to fit a channel of like cross sectional area in the under side of the flanges, to the end that the latter may not swing on the screws 0 as a pivot. This is common to all actions of this character.

What I claim is 1. In a pianoforte action, an action rail, flanges, means to secure the flanges to the action rail comprising an internally screwthreaded bushing having a longitudinally fiuted outer surface having a driving fit in a hole in the rail, a second bushing tightly fitted in a hole extending through the flange, and a headed screw passing freely through the flange-bushing and threaded into the rail-bushing whereby when the screw is tightened the rail-bushing and flanges may be drawn together, the rail-bushing being non-rotatable.

2. In a pianoforte action, an action rail, flanges, means to secure the flanges to the action-rail comprising an internally screw threaded bushing non-rotatably secured in a hole in the action-rail, a second bushing tightly fitted in a hole extending through the flange, a headed screw passing freely through the flange-bushing and threaded into the rail-bushing, whereby when the screw is tightened, the rail bushing and flanges may be drawn together.

XVILLIAM XV. WVALLACE.

lVitnesses 31. H. OHAPIN, K. I. GLEMONS. 

